Chef Rita is cooking for a Sunday brunch. She knows that $22$ pancakes can feed $8$ people. She is wondering how many people $(p)$ she can feed with $55$ pancakes. She assumes each person eats the same quantity of pancakes. How many people can Rita feed with $55$ pancakes?
Solution: We're dealing with a proportional relationship, so each ratio of pancakes to people must be equivalent. Here's one way to write the proportion: $\dfrac{55\text{ pancakes}}{p \text{ people}} = \dfrac{22\text{ pancakes}}{8\text{ people}}$ Let's solve for $p$ : $\dfrac{55\text{ pancakes}}{p \text{ people}} = \dfrac{22\text{ pancakes}}{8\text{ people}}$ $8 \cdot 55 = 22 \cdot p $ $440 = 22p$ $p = \dfrac{440}{22}~~~~~~~~~~~$ Divide both sides by $22$. $p = 20$ Rita can serve $20$ people with $55$ pancakes.